The Truth Hurts
by KrAzYkEwLgUrL
Summary: Hogwarts has been attacked by Death Eaters and Hermione has to pretend to be Pansy Parkinson to avoid death. But things aren't going too well. Voldemort is suspicious and her friends are in danger. And her only chance lies with... Malfoy? DMHG
1. Trapped

Hi everyone!!!  This is my new story.  I think it has a more exciting plot than my others and hopefully it will be better written.  The first part of this chapter may be boring because it is dealing with Hermione's true feelings and personality but it is important to the story.  Well here it is!!!!

Hermione always had a need to prove her abilities to the world.  Even as a young child she'd had this need.  While classmates were struggling to read, Hermione was reading small chapter books.  While classmates were learning simple addition, Hermione was already adding four digit numbers.

When Hermione went to Hogwarts, her need to be taken seriously intensified.  Now she had new knowledge to learn and excel in.  So Hermione strived to prove herself by burying herself in books.  She learned about the wizarding world to prepare her for anything she might face.

Yet there were still people who despised her.  Despite all of her hard work and studying, some people hated her for the one fact she couldn't change.  She was born to muggle parents.  

Hermione didn't care if people insulted her intelligence.  She didn't care if people insulted her looks.  She didn't even care if people told her that Ron and Harry were only her friends because they pitied her.  Hermione did care though, when someone called her a Mudblood.

Every syllable of the word sickened her.  It made her feel dirty, ugly and unwanted.

Hermione could never understand why people judged her by her blood.  Wasn't she a person just like any Pureblood?  If there was anything Hermione hated, it was someone disliking her before they got to know her.

When someone called her Mudblood, Hermione kept the hurt inside.  She didn't tell Harry or Ron how disgusting it made her feel.  She pretended not to care.  Hermione had perfected her acting skills in that area since the first time she was called Mudblood by Malfoy, in her Second Year.

Another thing Hermione had always wanted to do was go up to Voldemort and give him a lecture.  Now Hermione was not stupid, she knew this was an impossible dream, but sometimes she imagined it.  Yelling at Voldemort, telling him all the wrong things he had done, making him realize that he had wasted his life and finally showing him that blood did not matter so he could understand in those last seconds before Harry finally defeated Voldemort.

Again Hermione never told anyone this dream.  She was afraid they would laugh or tell her she was a silly girl.  Hermione wanted to be respected more than anything.

Hermione had always wondered why the sorting hat put her in Gryffindor.  You could say that she had been brave through all of those adventures with Harry and Ron but Hermione never felt that way.  She thought it was Harry that had always been the true person who showed bravery.

It was in her seventh year that the event that caused Hermione to show her bravery to the whole entire world happened.  The first time Hermione had to face danger alone.  This is the real start of Hermione's story.  A story that started, surprisingly, during the class almost everyone found the most boring, History of Magic.

"…The Goblin War of 1634 was one of the most…" Professor Binns droned on, putting more than half the class to sleep.  Though Hermione was not asleep, she was quite close to just putting her head down and resting.

Hermione might very well have begun to sleep if Professor Flitwick had not burst into that room.  He was out of breath and looked quite scared.  "Class," Flitwick said in a frantic voice, "There has been an attack on the school.  The Death Eaters are invading!  Evacuate now!  Everyone!"

Immediately the room went into utter chaos.  Some people began to scream their heads off.  Some people frantically ran out of the room.  Other people were sobbing wildly.  Harry was really the only person in control.  He rounded up a group of people and headed out the door.  "Anyone who wants to escape," he screamed actually sounding calm.  "Come with me!"

Hermione just sat, frozen with shock.  She didn't hear Harry as he screamed.  All she knew was that she should have recognized the signs.  That day an unusual amount of students had not been in classes.  She had just thought that a humongous group of students had decided to skip class thinking that the professors couldn't get them all in trouble.  Now she realized that the missing students varied from Slytherins to that Ravenclaw outcast that sat alone each day at meals.

Finally Hermione came to her senses and ran.  Harry and his group were long gone and though there were still some sobbing people in the room, it was practically empty.  Hermione ran and ran until she reached the doors.  She tried to open them but as hard as she pushed or pulled they remained closed.

Hermione took out her wand.  "Alohomora!" Hermione yelled.  The door still wouldn't open.

Hermione faced all the same problems with the windows and couldn't blast a hole through the wall either.  She was trapped.  Hermione prayed to God that Harry, Ron and all of her friends were safe.  At least it hadn't been any of them left in the room.

Hermione ran in the empty hallways.  When she came to a room or hallway where Death Eaters were torturing people, she walked calmly through it like she was a Slytherin strolling around, happily watching pain.  She blended right in and no one paid any attention to her.

She counted her lucky stars that she had changed a lot over the summer and any Death Eater who might have been looking for "Potter's Mudblood friend" would have a hard time recognizing her.  Over the summer, Hermione's hair had naturally changed from frizzy to curly.  This may have been because she let it grow down to her waist.  She had become quite slender and now seemed more confident of herself.  While these might seem like small changes, it made a big difference in the way she looked.

Hermione finally reached her secret room, only to hear noises from inside.  She braced herself to see which poor kid was in there and then looked.  Hermione was shocked to see Pansy Parkinson arguing with a Death Eater.  Hermione got close enough to hear the conversation.

"I don't want to be a Death Eater!  I don't want to kill people for fun!  I know you think you have the right to boss me around but I only obey people I respect and you lost my respect the second you became a Death Eater!"  Parkinson screamed.  Hermione got the idea that Parkinson knew this Death Eater from somewhere else.

"My Master says you are the only seventh year Slytherin who has not accepted yet.  He told me to make this proposal and take you to him if you agree or…" The Death Eater trailed off as if not wanting to finish.

Hermione realized why he did not want to finish when Parkinson spoke again.  "Or you'll have to kill me, Father.  Is that it?  Well I don't care!  I'd rather die then kill innocent people."

Parkinson's father looked on the verge of tears.  "Then I'm afraid I have to…" Again he could not finish his words.

"Kill me Father.  You know you have to.  I'm not even going to try to escape.  It's not worth the effort.  Just remember Father these are my last words.  A Pureblood who kills for no reason no longer has pure blood."

Hermione looked away, unable to see Parkinson's death.  What a horrible world where fathers could kill their daughters.  All Hermione heard was "Avada Kedavra!" and then it was all over.

She looked in the room again and saw Parkinson's lifeless body on the floor with her father sobbing on it.  That was when Hermione realized two things.  Even though Parkinson had always seemed like perfect Death Eater material, she wasn't.  Hermione decided that Parkinson might actually have been an okay person and from now on, she would call her Pansy.  Hermione also saw the Death Eater who was Pansy's father, looking so sad.  He hadn't wanted to do that, but he'd done it anyway.  Maybe he wasn't a horrible person either.  That's when Hermione formed her plan.

She walked in and tapped him on the shoulder.  Mr. Parkinson stopped crying for a few seconds to look up.  When he saw Hermione, he asked, "Who are you?  You're not a Slytherin I know that.  Are you making a request to join You-Know-Who?"

"No, I am not," Hermione said, "I'm here to request something of a different sort.  You see I am a Muggleborn and it's only a matter of time before someone finds me.  I have heard the exchange between you and your daughter and I have an idea.  I can change myself to look like Pansy and you can take me to your master.  If we do this you will not get tortured for not bringing Pansy and maybe I will be able to stir some distrust within his Death Eaters.  Of course I'm assuming you'd want to help me get rid of Voldemort after what happened to Pansy.  If I ever get found out then I will say I killed Pansy and you knew nothing about it."  Hermione said this all very professionally so he would consider helping her.

Mr. Parkinson looked like he was trying to decide, then he smiled.  "Ok," he said,  "I don't care about You-Know-Who.  He made me kill Pansy, and I'll never forgive him for that."

Hermione smiled.  "Thank you Mr. Parkinson, since I have your permission, I can do a certain spell to make me look like Pansy."

Hermione took one of Pansy's hairs and said the words of the very complicated spell.  She remembered how the first time she had came across this spell she had been shocked.  Why waste your time with a Polyjuice Potion, when all you had to do was have one of the person's hairs and say a spell?  Then Hermione found out that it would only work if the person or one of the person's relatives gave you permission to cast the spell.

This was the true moment of decision for Hermione herself.  Could she act as a convincing Pansy?  And even worse, could she block off her mind and trick even Voldemort?  Hermione had to take the risk. 

They set off to meet Voldemort.

**Well that's the chapter!  I hope you like it!  See you soon!**


	2. Pansy's Diary

**Hi everyone!!!!!!  I'm back again.  Thank you to NymphadoraNatala, Kristina, and Firepixie0071.  By the way, Firepixie0071 has an extremely good story, which any Draco/Ginny fans should read!  It's called _Life for Life, or Die Trying_.  I find it a great story but because of my messed up computer, I can't review it.  Well here's the actual chapter.  Thanks again to my three reviewers!**

Hermione stared at the floor, not believing what she was about to do.  It was quite amazing really, Gryffindor Muggleborn Hermione Granger pretending to be Slytherin Pureblood Pansy Parkinson.  Hermione knew that she had to find out as much about Pansy as she could or someone might very well figure out who she really was.  That was one bad thing about the spell.  There were two ways she could turn back into her normal self.  

Hermione just had to think about the way she looked normally and she would suddenly become Hermione again.  But there was another way, which Hermione hated to think about.  If someone called her by her first name, she would immediately turn back into herself.

She was just about to start asking Mr. Parkinson questions about Pansy, when something on the floor caught her eye.  It was a bright pink bag that looked as though it had been dropped quickly.  It had books falling out of it and an ink puddle next to it.  Hermione had been seeing abandoned bags like this everywhere and would have skipped over this one if it weren't for the bright pink color.  Just a week ago, she remembered Pansy making a humongous fuss over the bag in Potions.  Her partner had spilled something on the (according to Pansy, very expensive) bag.  Hermione knew she would know that pink color anywhere.

Something made Hermione go to get the bag.  Sure enough, one of the books on the floor was a green book that said in big silver letters _Keep Out!_  Hermione somehow knew that this was Pansy's diary.

When Mr. Parkinson saw the book he almost burst into tears.  "My goodness, I remember that old book!"  He said as the tears started to fall.  "Why that was the present I got her for her thirteenth birthday!  There was a time when she wouldn't go anywhere without that thing.  Then I never saw it anymore.  I had no idea she still wrote in it."  Then Mr. Parkinson seemed to get an idea.

"Read the diary, girl.  It will tell you a lot more about Pansy then I ever could.  Don't worry; you're not invading her privacy.  She would understand why you must read it."

Hermione was glad that she had all the information on Pansy that she needed in her hands.  She began to speak.  "Only if you make sure that my meeting with Voldemort is quick.  I need to get somewhere and read this as soon as possible."

Mr. Parkinson gasped at her use of the word "Voldemort."  When he spoke again, he was speaking in a shaky voice.  "You used You-Know-Who's real name because you know he doesn't like it, wait no, I mean no one ever calls him the name, yeah that name, and he-." 

Hermione interrupted Mr. Parkinson's rambling to give him a lecture that she often gave to Ron.  "Stop your rambling!  Now this is completely pointless!  Refusing to call Voldemort by his name will only cause unnecessary fear!  Besides, Voldemort isn't even his real name!  His name is really quite ordinary.  Tom.  Marvolo.  Riddle.  Does that name make you quake in your shoes?  I didn't think so.  He only created that name for himself so he could make witches and wizards act like you did just now.  It's stupid to play exactly into his plans.  It's quite easy to conquer a world that is too afraid to even say your own stinking NICKNAME!!!!!!"  Hermione was getting mad but she knew she had to calm herself down.  It would not do to let her temper get the best of her.  So she quickly went back to business.

"So anyway," she said in a much calmer voice.  "Will you make the meeting with Voldemort quick?"

Mr. Parkinson was looking shocked at Hermione's outburst.  She might have been a good friend of Pansy's under different circumstances he thought.  Too bad things had turned out this way.  "Of course I'll make it quick.  But lets hurry, You-Know-Who does not like waiting."

Hermione placed the diary in her own bag and they both started to walk faster.  Soon they had reached a portrait with a tragically beautiful lady.  Her pale skin looked almost silver while her midnight black hair contrasted with her skin.  "Have you come to see my Master?"  She asked in a musical voice.  The lady had a sad look in her beautiful blue eyes.

Hermione took a second to wonder if Voldemort knew of ways to torture portraits.  She knew that the lady seemed to be there against her will.  You could tell by the lady's eyes.  Deep and filled with so much emotion.

Mr. Parkinson answered her.  "Yes, we are."  He said.  "Tell him that it is Richard Parkinson and Pansy Parkinson."  Mr. Parkinson gave Hermione a few last tips on occlumency as the portrait lady returned, beckoning them inside.

It was a big room.  The room was emerald green with some gold trimming.  Several sliver and black lounge chairs were scattered around the room.  A big wood table, surrounded by the silver and black chairs, stood in the middle of the room. 

When Hermione's eyes came upon Voldemort she almost screamed.  Sure, she had seen him before, but this time he looked even more sinister.  Unnerving bright red eyes focused on Hermione.  She shivered.   For that one second Hermione was sure that he knew everything going on in her mind.  She kept her mind completely blank and knew that he would not see anything.

As one of his long, pale hands came to shake hers, she was reminded of her old nightmare.  Oh how Hermione did not want to remember that.  As images of the bodies surrounded by puddles of blood filled her head, she willed them to go away.  Not now she thought, not when I have so much to lose.

Hermione shook his hand, looking up into his eerie eyes.  "Master," she said, trying to ignore the sudden pang of nausea she got by calling Voldemort "Master."  She got to her knees.  "I pledge my never ending loyalty to you and I only hope that you will accept me.  I am sorry that I have not told you this a long time ago but I will make up for it, I promise!"  Hermione began to kiss the hem of his robes, depending completely on her wonderful acting skills.

Voldemort seemed to be pleased with what she said.  "Of course I will accept you, my dear.  Why you needn't have ever doubted that I would!  In fact I believe you will make a wonderful Death Eater.  Now come back to this room at 7:00 tonight for a meeting of our new Death Eaters.  Goodbye and welcome to the Death Eaters."

Only the hatred in Voldemort's eyes betrayed his true feelings.  To any other observer, he was smiling widely and seemed to be a kind man in a truly great mood.  But Hermione was not any other observer, and she could easily read the expression in his eyes.  Something was going to happen at the meeting that night and Hermione knew that whatever it was, she was not going to like it.

Hermione walked to the library calmly, knowing that no one would be there.  The library was perfectly empty.  Not even Madame Pince was there.  Even so, Hermione still sat in the most secluded area of the library.  She opened the diary and began to read.

July 1, 1993 

_Dear Diary,_

_My name is Pansy Parkinson and I am 13 years old.  Today is actually my birthday.  You are a birthday present from Father.  Right now I feel pretty stupid, writing in a book.  Don't get offended or anything, you are a very handsome book, but still you can't even talk.  Father says that writing down your thoughts can be helpful.  He says that it helps you figure things out.  Well maybe he's right.  I suppose I should start off by telling you a bit about myself.  I have black hair and extremely ugly brown eyes.  Mother says that my eyes look like chocolate.  I think they look like the rest of me, plain.  My nose must be my worst quality.  It's all scrunched up.  Everyone says that the famous Parkinson nose always changes by age 16.  I certainly hope so!  I am a Slytherin at Hogwarts and I am going into my third year.  I absolutely LOVE pranks of any kind and even though I feel kinda like a traitor to my house while writing this, those Gryffindor Weasley twins really are pretty funny.  Gotta go, Mother's calling me!_

_                                                                                  -Pansy_

Hermione smiled.  Pansy didn't seem like she was a bad person in her third year.  So why had Pansy insulted her so many times?  She just didn't get it.  Hermione skimmed some of them until she got to May 24, 1994.

May 24, 1994 

_Dear Diary,_

_Sorry I haven't been able to write in you for a while!  Blaise and Millicent have just been so annoying lately.  They seem to think that the three of us are a group and I'm the leader.  Well if I didn't have to pretend to think Muggleborns are trash and all of that other blood junk that Slytherins believe, I would have nothing in common with them.  I wish I didn't have to pretend all the time, but I learned my lesson from First Year.  Oh I remember that nasty trick that Malfoy played on my family.  I tell him that I think some Muggleborns are nice and soon Mother's fired from her job.  She just so happened to work for Lucius Malfoy.  Well I don't want to ruin my family.  The Malfoys have power and they can do a lot with the wizarding world.  I'll pretend if I have to.  I'll even suck up to him.  My God, that one time that the hippogriff hurt Malfoy, I wanted to scream with happiness but no, I couldn't because I had to pretend to care and go listen to him ramble on about getting Hagrid fired.  Seriously, what an idiot, he had to pretend to be hurt just to get any attention.  I'm scared about Sirius Black.  He's been in the castle twice and I don't know what I would do if he got me.  I'm not brave at all._

_                                                                                                    -Pansy_

Hermione gasped at what was written in that entry.  Pansy had only been pretending this whole time.  The cleared up a lot of questions Hermione had.  Wow, Pansy didn't even seem to like being in Slytherin that much.  Hermione wished that she had gotten to know her.  Soon Hermione was reading about her fourth year.

January 5, 1995 

_Dear Diary,_

_I have been so busy lately!!  This is the first time I can write to you in a month.  Wow!  Anyway, the biggest (and most boring) thing that happened to me recently was the Yule Ball.  Ughhh!  I had to suck up to Malfoy so much because if he asked me to the ball, then maybe my family would be safe.  So sure enough, Malfoy asks me.  He even goes to the liberty of buying me this hideous pink, frilly, dress, which I can't refuse because it might get him mad if I do.  So I have the absolute, worst night ever there!  All Malfoy talked about was what losers Potter, Weasley and Granger were.  Seriously, you'd think it was the only thing he could talk about!  Sometimes I wish I was in Gryffindor, where no one would expect me to follow Malfoy's every order!  I know it's not possible though.  Millicent is calling me.  Something about helping her with homework.  I think I'm gonna ignore her.  No, I'm not that rude, I'll help her.  Bye!_

_                                                                                       -Pansy_

Hermione was getting very interested in the diary by now.  Soon she was zooming through Pansy's fifth year.  Then her sixth year, where Hermione almost cried at Pansy's reflections on her Father's choice.  Hermione was almost shocked when she realized there was only one entry left.  She read it.

September 8, 1997 

_Dear Diary,_

_I know I'm not supposed to be writing in you during Charms or any other class for that matter, but this is important.  Tons of students missing, mainly Slytherins, lots of happy people who have suddenly disappeared.   The signs are clear.  I think that Hogwarts is going to be attacked.  I'm hoping against all hope that I'm wrong, but if not then someone must find you, diary.  I know that if Hogwarts is attacked, there is a good chance I won't come out alive.  Then I have some last things I must say to my family.  Whoever is reading this right now; please make sure my messages reach them.  Mother, I love you and I know I will miss you quite a lot.  You were the best Mother ever and you remember that!  Father, sometimes I think I hate you for joining Voldemort, but then I remember all those years before you became a Death Eater.  Even though I no longer trust or respect you, I still love you.  I would also like everyone to know that not all Slytherins are evil.  Even though a lot of them do turn bad, it is mostly because of the way everyone thinks of them and the way they were brought up.  But I would like the Slytherins in my year, especially Malfoy, to know that Muggleborns are people too.  In fact, a lot of them are the nicest people you'll ever meet.  I'll never forget seeing Hermione Granger help a little Slytherin first year do his homework, even though a week later (after talking to Malfoy) he was insulting her.  I respect her for that.  I'm sorry that the world had to be like this, but maybe once Voldemort is gone, things will be better.  I hope I live long enough to fill the many empty pages of you, diary, but if not, I have placed a charm on you so once I am dead, a person who I would trust reading you, will be able to read you.  Goodbye diary!  You were a great companion all of these years._

_                                                                                            -Pansy_

Hermione was extremely surprised.  So Pansy had known in Charms, the class they shared that was right before History of Magic.  Hermione was honored that Pansy actually trusted her and even described her as nice.  A tear trickled down Hermione's face as she thought about what a hard life Pansy must have had.  Thanks to Malfoy.

Oh no, Malfoy, Hermione thought, because just that second, Malfoy was walking straight towards her.  "Hey, Pansy," he said.  "Coming to the meeting tonight?"

It was all Hermione could do, not to barf all over him.  "Of course Draco," she answered.  "I wonder what the meeting is going to be about!"

"I think it might have something to do with finding Potter, Weasley and the Mudblood Grang-."  Hermione began to choke as Malfoy was saying her name.  "Are you okay Pansy?  I know those three are pretty nasty, but you don't have to choke because of them."

This only caused Hermione to feel worse.  She knew she could only hold it in for a little more.  "I'm fine, don't worry Draco.  But I need to go, Father needs to talk to me!"  Then Hermione ran as fast as she could in the direction of the closest bathroom, tripping over Lavender's dead body.  

Hermione couldn't hold in the tears anymore.  She was sobbing by the time she reached the bathroom.  After vomiting quite a lot, Hermione was ready to think things over.  She reached the library again and sat down to think.  But she was so tired, that soon she fell asleep.

Hermione was in Potions, working carefully to make her potion perfect.  Suddenly, two pale hands flew out of her cauldron.  They were long and spidery.  They placed themselves around Hermione's neck, beginning to strangle her.  Hermione managed to escape the hands but she looked around at everyone else in the room, lying on the floor, surrounded by blood.  Each cauldron had two of those horrible hands sticking out of it but these were even worse, for each hand held a knife.

Suddenly, Snape turned into Voldemort and all the dead bodies turned into Death Eaters.  As they all closed in on her, she heard people insult her, to her face and behind her back.  

"You filthy little Mudblood."

"Its no surprise she has no friends!"

"You silly Know-It-All."

"Why that Granger is so ugly!"

"Potter and Weasley only pity you, that's the only reason they actually talk to you."

"Go away Mudblood, you're polluting my air."

Soon she could only hear that one word.  

"Mudblood."  Malfoy was talking.

"Mudblood."  This time it was Harry.

"Mudblood."  Then Ron.

"Mudblood."  And Snape.

"Mudblood."  And McGonagall.

"Mudblood."  And Dumbledore.

"Mudblood."  And Voldemort said it last.   Then he motioned to a Dementor to kiss her.

As the Dementor leaned in she screamed.  "No!!!  Harry, Ron, someone, save me!"  In that last second before her soul was gone all the Death Eaters lowered their hoods.  There stood all of her friends and teachers.  They didn't move, just watched her with cold eyes.  Hermione screamed again.  "No!!!  Don't let me die!!!"  And the Dementor was an inch away…

Hermione woke up screaming.  She tried to calm herself.  It was just the nightmare she thought to herself.  Hermione was still shaking from the horrible images.  All of a sudden, Hermione looked at her watch.  My god, it's 6:50, Hermione realized.  Then she ran to reach the room by 7:00.

**I really hope you liked that!  It was quite hard to write at points but I think it came out okay.  I'm sorry if any of you do not like the idea of Pansy being nice, but it's the way this story is going to be and that's that.  See ya soon!**

     


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